Strangest Animals In South America

These reclusive cats are unusual looking resembling an animal more weasel-like than cat-like.

Strangest animals in south america. The animals were most familiar with are the ones we can easily find. Stunning landscapes harbor elusive critters that have evolved to thrive here. At night when they are up and about they like to stay near the rivers to be able.

From giant killer dolphins to the largest cat in the Americas this vast continent is a lethal predator battleground. The jaguarondi is a unique feline that is native to Central America and has a remnant population living Southern Texas. Definitely one of the weirdest animals in South America the bizarre looking Red-Lipped Batfish lives in the deeper waters of the Galapagos Islands.

Found near freshwater stream and rivers in Mexico and Central and South America this unique animal is locally known as the yapok. To 19th century British naturalist Charles Darwin they were the strangest animals yet discovered one looking like a hybrid of a hippo rhino and rodent and another resembling a humpless. Pacas can be found in northern South America in countries like Suriname all the way down Paraguay.

Tarantula hawks can be found throughout South America and the United States where they make the desert their home. South america also has its fair share of mysteries especially the unsolved variety. They use thermals to conserve energy sometimes going a whole hour on a single wing flap.

The artic hare and elk both live in cold artic environments. Want more natural history and wildlife videos. To his fortune plenty of eccentric mammals evolved in isolation in South America since the continent broke off from West Antarctica about 30 million years ago and only joined North America when a land bridge formed about 3 million years ago.

An odd extinct mammal that lived in South America during the last ice age had a long neck like a llamas three-toed feet like a rhinos and what may have been a tapir-like trunk. But survival is not assured because the abundant prey is closely followed by powerful predators. South Americas 20 genera of nonhuman primates compares with 6 in Central America 15 in Madagascar 23 in Africa and 19 in Asia.